Window lock



F. B. WAMSLEY WINDOW LOCK v Filed April 27. 1955 Sept. 30, 1958 United States Patent O WINDOW LOCK Floyd B. Warnsley, Glendora, Calif.

Application April 27, 1955, Serial No. 504,333

7 Claims. (Cl. 292-162) This invention relates to Window locks, and more particularly Ito an improved window lock of inexpensive manufacture capable of locking windows relative to each other in a plurality of positions.

Various types of window locks are known in the prior art. EOne is a sheet metal lock with a keyhole slot. The disadvantage of this type is that it is relatively expensive to make and engagement can occur only when the windows'are in one relative position. Another type of known lock uses a cam arrangement which will frequently grip and hold the window in any position, but which ultimately destroys the engagement surface and thereafter becomes inoperative. Various other types of window locks are known to the prior art but all incorporate certain disadvantages. Among the disadvantages is the fact that these devices require considerable alteration in the window sash or frame in which they are inserted. Additionally, they are clumsy to operate and present an unslightly appearance. Many of the devices are complicated and are therefore very expensive to manufacture.

The invention herein eliminates many of the diiculties noted rabove; is inexpensive to manufacture; and can be made in a variety of colors to present a pleasing and neat appearance.

`I-t is an object of the present invention to provide a window lock of molded plastic thereby making the device inexpensive to manufacture.

lt is a further object `of the present invention to provide a window lock in various colors which can be made to coincide with the coloration of the window sash on which the lock is affixed or to harmonize with the decoration in the room.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a window lock that is silent in operation. Metallic window locks used heretofore have the disadvantage that they make irritating metallic sounds when they are operated.

lt is a further object of this invention to provide a lock with a multiplicity of engagement members, thereby insuring greater locking action and making it possible to make the lock of inexpensive material of intermediate strength such as plastic without loss of locking efficiency.

`It is still another object of this invention to provide a locking member that when used in association with a window lock may be disengaged in such a way that the window may be moved up and down without interference from the locking member.

'It is yet another object lof this invention to provide a window lock that may be used with pre-existing windows without expensive rebuilding or alteration.

These and other Iadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. In the drawing wherein like reference numerals have been used to indicate like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention showing the windows in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partially in section, taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the locking member shown in Fig. 1, with the base and movable portions shown in disassembled relationship;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, showing another embodiment of the invention herein;

Fig. 6 is a plan View, similar to Fig. 3, showing the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the locking member shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the locking member shown in Fig. 7, illustrating the manner in which the movable portion of the locking member is attached to the stationary base portion thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 through 4, there are shown two window sash members 10 and 12 of the standard wood type construction. Each of these sashes has inserted therein panes of glass 14 and 16.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means whereby these windows may be raised or lowered in relation to each other, and at the same time keep the windows locked in #any relative position. The window lock herein includes a plate or strip member 18 and a locking member 20.

The plate member consists of a strip of molded plastic with transverse corrugations or teeth 22 thereon. The strip may be made of any desired thickness, but it is preferable that it be made as thin as possible to permit movement of the window sashes relative to each other. The strip is rectangular in shape, with -a width in one specic embodiment of approximately one inch and a length varying from one -to two feet. The strip is aixed to a vertical side wall of the outermost window sash by any normal means, :and `as shown is yaixed by screws 24 inserted through apertures provided in the strip.

The strip is centered on the vertical side wall of the sash member, and, as will be noted in Fig. 1, the lower end thereof is `at a point `approximately even with the top of the lower sash member when the windows are closed.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the transverse corrugations 22 on the strip are of the approximate shape of teeth on a saw, with inclined surfaces 26 and abutment surfaces or members 27 which are approximately normal to the longitudinal axis of the'strip 18. The teeth point downward and it will be apparent that the locking member 20 may ratchet downwardly over the teeth. The number of teeth 22 on the strip 18 is a matter of choice. However, the invention herein contemplates the provision of a multiplicity of relatively shallow teeth as will be apparent from the discussion in connection with the locking member 20.

Locating the strip above the top o'f the lower sash member, when the windows are in closed relationship, is of importance because it makes it possible to install the strip without movement of the upper sash member. It is not uncommon to have the upper sash member frozen in position by virtue of repeated paintings or wedging due to the settling of the building in which the window is located.' Were the strip placed below the uppermost portion of the lower sash member it would be necessary to raise the lower sash almost to the top of the window frame and then pull the upper sash down to a point where the bottom thereof extended below the lower sash member. Needless to say, this would be diicult and in some cases impossible.

Referring now to Fig. 4, there is shown therein one embodiment of the locking member contemplated by the invention herein.

The locking member shown therein includes a stationary base member 28 and a movable tooth engagement member 30. Not included in Fig. 4 but also a insertedv thereupon will engage the toothed strip 18. e

In Fig. 2 it will be notedlthat the spring anchor memberhasa recess 42itherein, and that there is a complementary recess 44 in thermovableV tooth engagementV member 30.

The tooth engagement-jmemberr .30 is `substantially cubicle in shape, with an Vinclined lower surface 4,6. On one end of member30 there are'located transverse corrugations 48. These corrugations areformed similarly tothe teeth o'f a saw with inclined surfaces 49 and abutment surfaces 51. The abutments extend out perpendicularly from the end of the engagement member. The teeth `48 point upward, and in this manner they will properly engage theeteeth 22 of the face plate thereby providing the locking action of the device here involved. It is further-to be'Y noted that the Lteeth 48 in the locking member are shaped complementary to the teeth 22 on the strip 18.- The engagement member 30 in one specific embodiment is approximately one .inch in width, which corresponds to the width of the platey 18. It is further to be noted that thereis provided a multiplicity of teeth 48 and that because the end of the engagement member. is substantially flat a number of'teeth engage the complementary teeth 22 on the strip. As mentioned previously, itis contemplated that the deviceherein be made of plastic. AIt is further contemplated that the strip be made as'thin as possible so as to permit movement of the sashes Vrelative to each without alteration of lthe sash members Von which the device Vis installed. Needless to say, plastic does not have the strength of metals that might be used, but this lack o'f strength is compensated for by the provision of Vmultiple teeth, each bearing part of the load.

Extending up from the bottom of the locking member 30, and extending in from the end opposite the teeth 48, are dovetail guideways 50 yand 52 which are adapted to receive theguide member 38 on the base member. There isalso shown in Fig.,4 an aperture 54 which is threaded for receiving the threaded shaft of knob 56 shown in Fig. 2. It will also be noted that the engagement member 30 is provided Vwith two apertures 58 and 60 which coincide with countersunk apertures 62 and 64 in the base member when the engagement member 30 is assembled.

The locking member is placed in condition for operation on the topl of the lower sash member as fol. lows: The movable engagement member 30 is slidably moved over the base member 28, in such a manner that the apertures 58 vand 62 and 30 and 40 are in aligned position. At thesame time that these two members are assembled, spring 32 vis inserted in apertures 42 and 44. Screws 66 and 68 are then inserted through apertures 62 and -64 and turned into the wood of the sash below. The locking member 30 is so positioned that the teeth 48 thereof are opposite the'teeth 22 of the plate member 18. It will be noted that because apertures 62 and 64 are countersunk the tops of the screws 66 and 68 will `be ush with the top of the guide member 38. The reason for providing apertures 58 and 60 in the movable portion 30 of the locking member 20 is that it allows fastening ofthe base member without moving the upper sash of thewindow. LAlthough the use of these apertures is preferable, it is possible to affix the base member 28 without passing the screws through the apertures 58 and 60. However, as mentioned above, vto affix the base member .28 without apertures 58 and 60 would require lowering the upper sash' belowV the topmost portion of the lower sash in order to gain sufficient-clearance to allow the toppportion 30V of the locking member to be placed over the base thereof. 'Y

It is to be notedthat inclined surface 36 'on the baise member and inclined surface 46 on the movable member provide a means whereby the movable member may be locked in position against the action of the spring 32. As the movable member 30 is moved over the base member 28, against the forceV of the spring 32, the inclined surfaces 36 and 46 are wedged together, thus f locking the movable member and preventing it from moving towards the strip 18. This is significant because without suchv a locking arrangement it` would'be necessary to hold each of these locking members against the force of the springV 42 while at the same time the operator was attempting to raise the lower sash relative to the upper sash or-vice versa. f f

The knob 56 is assembledon the movable membertl` by turningthe threaded shank thereof into the threaded aperture 54. It is obvious that the knob 56 maybe formed integral with the -movable member 30 if so desired. -It is also obvious that once the .inclined surfaces 36 and y46 are disengagedfromeach other, the spring 32 will act to bring the teeth of movable member 30 into engagement with the teeth 22 of plate member 30. Because of the multiplicity of corrugations or teethon the movable member Y30 there are always a number of teeth interlocking at the same time. This vin turn makes it possible to make the parts of plastic, or another ma. terial of intermediate strength, and at the same time insure adequate locking action. Because of this multiple engagement arrangement it is also possible to form the strip of relatively thin material without any loss in locking action.

From the foregoing it is `apparent that the lower or upper sashes of a window may be opened to any extent desired, and the Windows locked relative to each other in any selected position. I

As mentioned heretofore, it is contemplated that the invention herein will be made of molded plastic. The molding of -a strip 22, or of the locking member 20 is a relatively inexpensive process. Because'of the cheapness of` manufacture, while at the same time preserving the strength of the locking action, this invention represents a significant advance over the prior art.

Now to be considered is the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 through 8. The plate member 18a is of identical construction as .that heretofore described, and to avoid repetition will not be discussed again in connection with this embodiment. y l

This embodiment differs from the former in the construction of the locking memberf20a. The locking member .for this embodiment includes a. stationary base member'70, and a movable engagement member 72. The

' with countersunk apertures 74 and 76.` The base member .is Valso provided with a transverse aperture 78 through which is inserted a pin 80. If so desired the pinrmay be molded integral with the base member thereby eliminating the necessity of the aperture 78.

The movable engagement member 72 has a curved top,

end, and back portion 82, ay toothed front lsection :.84 and a base .portion 86. The base portion 86 has a groove 88, as shown in Fig.. 6, cutftherein, whichis adapted to lit over the base member 70. A multiplicity of teeth 90 is provided on the front surface 84, andV the teeth' are arranged transversely thereof. VMore particularly, the teeth extend approximately horizontally. when the device is in operation. There is also cut in from the .bottom surface 86 a groove 92. As will be apparent 'from Fig. 8, this groove extends across the entire width Yof the movabley member 72, `and is wider atrthe inner portion 94 than vat the-outer'portion 96. The reason lfor forming the groove in this manner is that it may be snapped over the pin when the device isI assembled and because ofthe restn'ctionat vthe AmouthY thereofV will not become disassembled. l

It is further noted that the extreme rounded portion.

9S on the back of the movable member 72 provides clearance whereby the movable member may be rotated on the pin Sti away from the plate member 18a. This portion of the movable member 72 is so designed that as the member 72 is rotated relative to the pin 8G, the center of gravity of the member 72 will pass over the center of the pin 80. Because of this feature, movable member 72, when moved back from the plate 18a, will remain in a fixed position and will not tend to fall towards the plate 18a. This is a significant feature in the invention herein because it frees the hands of the operator so that the window sashes may be raised or lowered without interference from the movable engagement member 72. An illustration of the movable member 72 in retracted position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The locking member 20a, of the embodiment now discussed, is installed on a window sash as follows: The base member 70 is screwed on the top of the bottom sash member, by means of screws 100 and 102. The base 70 is centered relative to the strip 18a, with the longitudinal axis thereof extending outward from the strip 18a. The movable member 72 is then placed over the base member 70 in a manner heretofore described. It is to be noted that the teeth 90 on the movable member 72 are shaped complementary to the teeth 22a on the strip. It will be apparent, from the direction in which the teeth are pointed that the locking member may move relative to the plate member in such a direction as to close the windows, without interference. However, moving either the top sash or the lower sash to an open position brings the teeth into engagement and locks the windows against movement.

As mentioned in connection with the objects of this invention, it is contemplated that the device may be made of molded plastic in a variety of colors. By providing window locks in a variety of colors it is possible to use them in a room without presenting an unsightly appearance. The use of plastic, as against metal, eliminates the grating metallic noises we encountered in connection with such devices. The plurality of teeth, as mentioned heretofore, insures adequate locking action, and at the same time permits the use of weaker materials than metals heretofore used. Both embodiments of this invention provide a locking member that may be used independent of the movement of the windows. Because of this feature it is unnecessary for an operator to hold the locking members at the same time the windows are moved relative to each other.

The use of plastic material, as well as the simplicity of the device here involved results in reduced manufacturing cost from other window locks now in use.

Although certain specific examples of the invention have been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a locking device of the type described, the combination comprising a stationary plastic base member mountable on a supporting surface, said base member having a relatively narrow upstanding block, fastener means extending through said base member and into said supporting surface to secure said base member thereon, a relatively wide shiftable plastic locking member having a relatively narrow groove in the bottom thereof receiving said block and in locking position substantially covering said block and said base member and hiding said fastener means, said shiftable locking member having a face disposed for engaging a complementary keeper and including a plurality of closely spaced transversely extending teeth, and cooperable means on said base and shiftable locking members mounting said shiftable member on said base member for free movement between an extended operative keeper engaging position and a retracted inoperative position in which the shiftable member is automatically restrained until manually shifted back toward said operative position.

2. A locking device, as dened in claim l, wherein said base and shiftable members include integral cooperable wedging surfaces wedgingly engageable with each other only when said shiftable member is in a retracted position for automatically retaining said shiftable member in the retracted position.

3. A locking device, as dened in claim l, wherein said means mounting the shiftable member on said base member includes pin means connected to and having opposite end portions extending outwardly from opposite sides of said base member, and said shiftable member includes a bifurcated portion with slot means in its bifurcations receiving said pin means end portions, each of i said slot means having a restricted opening at a margin of its bifurcation, whereby said bifurcations may be snapped over said pin means and rotatably held thereby.

4. In a locking device of the type described, a base member mountable on top of a first sash, a shiftable member on said base, member having a forward face including a plurality of teeth cooperable with teeth on a vmember mounted on a second sash for locking the sashes with respect to each other, cooperable guide means on said base and shiftable members slidably mounting said shiftable member for movement between an extended operative position and a retracted inoperative position, spring means between said members yieldably biasing said shiftable member toward said operative position, and cooperable wedging surfaces integral with said base and shiftable members and disposed for engaging each other only when said shiftable member is in a substantially fully retracted position for restraining said shiftable member in said retracted position against the action of said spring means at least until the shiftable member is manually moved slightly toward said extended position.

5. A locking device, as defined in claim 4, wherein said cooperable guide means includes a dove-tail section on said base member projecting upwardly between spaced sections of the base member wedging surface, and means providing a dove-tail slot in said shiftable member between spaced sections of the shiftable member wedging surface and receiving said dove-tail section.

6. A locking device, as defined in claim 5, wherein said shiftable member has additional slot means in a bottom surface of said dove-tail slot means, said base member including an abutment projecting upwardly from said dove-tail section and into said additional slot means, said spring means comprising a compression spring disposed between said abutment and an opposing end wall of said additional slot means.

7. A locking device, as dened in claim 4, wherein said base member includes substantially vertical aperture means for accommodating a mounting means for securing the base member to a sash, and wherein said shiftable member includes enlarged substantially vertical aperture means aligned with said first mentioned aperture means when said shiftable member is substantially in said retracted position for enabling said mounting means to be inserted into said first mentioned aperture means through said second mentioned aperture means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 372,645 Tweeddale Nov. 1, 1887 768,177 Hettinger Aug. 23, 1904 1,429,256 Ritchie Sept. 19, 1922 1,570,072 Merz et al. Ian. 19, 1926 1,573,662 Warga Feb. 16, 1926 1,621,934 Kintner Mar. 22, 1927 1,834,194 Wirt Dec. 1, 1931 2,469,113 Hooker May 3, 1949 2,499,165 Roethel Feb. 28, 1950 

